The concert hall was packed wall to wall as the band started to play, the music coming so loud and so fast that the windows had begun to tremble in their frames, while pieces of loose stone, dust and spider webs fell of the vibrating walls as the crowd began to go wild, jumping up and down, pushing each other, falling over each other and shouting as loud as they could until their voices were hoarse. The stench of alcohol and sweat hung heavy over the crowd as eleven year old Terry Boot pushed his way through the crowd, moving surprisingly easily as he kept low, making his way to the stage. In front of his, a huge man pushed an even larger man in front of him and was violently repelled, falling on top of Terry, only instead of hurting him, he seemed to fall onto some kind of invisible force field, freezing a few inches above him and sliding down sideways, while Terry moved on, barely aware of what had happened until he reached the fifteen year old boy who was jumping up and down at the front of the stage, dressed only a vest, his muscles bulging, his arms in the air, having the time of his life and he did not notice Terry at first, even when Terry tugged at his shirt.

" WHAT DO YOU WANT!" He bellowed, but the noise was so loud that Terry could only see his lips moving.

"MUM WANTS YOU TO COME HOME...NOW!" Terry had to use gestures to make his meaning clear.

"NO WAY!"

" SHE WON'T LET YOU FLY IF YOU DON'T COME!" Terry yelled, doubting that anybody else would hear what he saying, or be in any condition to make anything of it.

" WHAT?"

"SHE WON'T LET YOU FLY IF YOU DON'T COME HOME!"

About twenty minutes later, Terry and Brandon had made their way out of the concert, Brandon looking very sulky indeed.

"I told you to tell her I was at Matt's place." Brandon growled as they headed down the street.

"I did," Terry protested," but she didn't believe me."

"I bet you didn't try very hard to convince her!"

" I did, but she threatened to take my allowance," Terry protested," and you know how much I need it, especially now, since we're going to get my school things tomorrow."

"Oh, of course, school!" Brandon adopted a mocking tone," There's nothing more important than school- especially not your own brother!"

"Well, what does it matter. You only missed a stupid concert!"

"It's not a stupid concert, they're a great band, even if they're Muggles," Brandon said," and their concerts are far more exciting than most wizard bands."

"Oh, so that's why you like them!" Terry's eyes widened in comprehension.

"What do you mean?" Brandon snapped.

"It's not the music," Terry said," it's the concerts you like. You like the danger, don't you?"

"What do you know about it?" Brandon sneered.

" Does it make you feel brave, doing all these dangerous things, going to these concerts, riding a motorbike- I mean, you don't even like them!"

" Just shut up," Brandon said wearily," you're more intelligent when you don't speak."

Terry kept quiet, but stuck his tongue out at his brother's back as he slowed his pace. However, not even stupid older brothers could dampen his mood as he and his brother took the train to their hometown because, that morning, he had got his letter of admittance to Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. His parents were magical, his brother was a Wizard and it had seemed a long, long wait before he had got his turn to go to school, to learn to do magic.

"I told you not to go to those concerts!" Terry's mother bore down on her eldest son," I don't mind you mixing with Muggles, but those concerts are out of bounds, as you very well know! I ought to ground you!"

"But mum..." Brandon's eyes grew wide and Terry sensed a Brandon- lie coming on," I had to go. Matt wanted to go and I just wanted to protect him. Should I have let him go alone?"

Terry scowled at the ground as his mother faltered," Well... I suppose not... it was good of you, Brandon, to look out for your friend that way. I just wish your brother had explained a bit more clearly." She shot Terry a rather cold look and Terry headed to his room, his good mood fading slightly.

Brandon was always able to get everything he wanted in the Boot household. He was his parent's golden boy, the tall, handsome son of their dreams. He was talented at using magic, even if his exams marks did not necessarily reflect this, he was an excellent flyer, only missing making the Gryffindor Quidditch team due to an injury at try outs. Gryffindor one of the four school houses of Witchcraft and Wizardry. It was a House for the brave, the bold and it was widely considered the best House as it was the House of the Hogwart's Headmaster, Albus Dumbledore, who was widely considered the greatest wizard of the age. Both of Terry's parents had been in Gryffindor and he knew that they would be disappointed if he was not sorted into it, because then they could not tell all their friends how all their children were in Gryffindor.

Terry lay back on his bed, looking at the ceiling, thinking about the Sorting. According to Brandon, first years had to try on a hat which looked into your mind and saw what sort of person you were. If you were brave, you went to Gryffindor, if you were clever you went to Ravenclaw, if you were evil you went to Slytherin and if you were stupid you went to Hufflepuff. The last two descriptions were in Brandon's own words.

Terry supposed that he ought to want to go to Gryffindor, because that was what you were supposed to want- unless you were evil and wanted to be in Slytherin, but if being brave meant being like Brandon and seeking danger every minute, then he certainly was not brave. He enjoyed adventure and excitement well enough, but one could get too much of it. On the whole, he thought Ravenclaw sounded the best. He was not sure how clever he was, exactly, but he had probably read more books in one month than Brandon read in a year. From Brandon's sneering comments, it sounded like the Ravenclaws were either strange or boring, but Terry decided that he could live with that label, but what if, he thought, his stomach suddenly twisting, what if he did not have a choice? What if the hat saw something in him, something that he did not even know existed and put him in Slytherin and he had to spend the rest of his time with evil bullies, or what if it thought him stupid and put him in Hufflepuff and he would be branded a failure for the rest of his life?

These thoughts kept Terry awake for quite a long time that night.

However, by the next morning, he was too busy looking forward to the trip to Diagon Alley to worry about Hogwarts. Terry caught the Knight Bus by himself as his mother had an appointment and his father had to be early to work and Terry would not have wanted Brandon to come with him, even if Brandon had been willing to go. He had not often been to London, but he more- or- less knew his way around and got to Diagon Alley without much difficulty.

The Leaky Cauldron, the Pub which stood in front of the entrance to Diagon Alley, was unusually noisy as Terry made his way to the back of the shop.

"It was him! It was!" a woman was saying excitedly.

"I saw his scar. Did you?" A wizard turned to his neighbour.

"Yeah, yeah I did," the man replied.

Terry wanted to ask who they had seen, but was spared the trouble as Tom, the bartender, showed him to the small yard where there was nothing but a dustbin, surrounded by a brick wall.

"Harry Potter came in here only a few minutes ago," Tom said excitedly through his toothless grin," it's too bad you missed him."

"Harry Potter, really?" Terry had heard of the Boy Who Lived, of course. Harry Potter had been attacked by the most powerful Dark Wizard of the time and had survived and the wizard, commonly known as You Know Who, had disappeared and the Wizarding Community had finally been free.

Terry did not remember the time of You Know Who's reign of terror, as he had barely been a year old when it had ended, and Brandon only had the vaguest recollections, but Terry could see that his parents were still haunted by the time. When Terry was about five and they had been telling him about You Know Who and Harry Potter and Albus Dumbledore, who was the only wizard that You Know Who had ever feared, Terry had seen a look in his parents eyes and heard a restraint in their voice that had terrified him, wondering what sort of shadow had been cast over them, who were both such brave people, to make them so terrified, even if they tried to hide it. That had been the only time they had ever mentioned You Know Who's true name, which was Voldemort, before forbidding him to ever mention it again. No one ever mentioned that name in the Boot family, except Brandon, occasionally, just to impress his friends, but he never let his parents hear the name.

Terry kept his eyes wide open, hoping to see Harry Potter, thinking of how he could boast about seeing him to Brandon, but he did not see him and was soon so focused on getting his things that Harry Potter faded from his mind.

Terry headed straight for the wand shop, Olivanders, feeling more nervous than excited as he kept wondering what would happen if he could not get a wand. Brandon always said that you had to try out different wands and that one would chose you and Terry wondered what his parents would say if no wand chose him.

There were three other people in the wand shop when Terry entered it, a blonde, pale boy with a rather rat- like face ( in Terry's opinion) and a woman who was obviously his mother and a dark boy with long, black hair and rather deep, dark brown eyes who had withdrawn into a corner and was watching the blonde boy with some amusement on his face.

" Here you are," an elderly man with silvery eyes appeared from the back of the shop, a box held in his hand," try this one. Hawthorn and Unicorn hair."

"But I don't want a Hawthorn wand, I want that Aspen one!" the boy's voice would have had a drawling tone to it if it had not been for his anger," I want to try it again!"

"Don't cause trouble, Draco," the boy's mother sounded tired," this wand's a lovely one. Just try it."

"It'll never work for me," Draco scowled, but took the wand and waved it. Instantly, a shower of sparks shot out of it and the boy in the corner let out a snigger. Instantly, the blonde boy turned on him.

"Think it's funny, do you? Would you still think it funny if I cursed you?" He snapped.

The dark boy did not answer, but his expression had a distinct I'd- like- to – see – you – try look to it. Fortunately, Draco's mother dragged him out of the shop and the silver eyed man, who Terry took to be Mr Olivander, turned to the dark boy and began to ask him a few questions, while a tape measure began measuring his arms, height and girth.

"Who was that boy?" Terry asked as Mr Olivander disappeared between the shelves.

"Don't know," the other boy shrugged," new student, I suppose. I hope he's not in my House."

"What House do you want to be in?"

"Ravenclaw."

"No, I can't see him being in Ravenclaw," Terry said, quite seriously," you have to be clever to be in that House."

There was a pause as Terry realised what he had said," Not that I'm calling him stupid," he added hastily, but the other boy was smirking.

"Well, you should," he said," he was stupid. Everyone knows that you shouldn't just take any wand, that some wands suit some people better than they suit others. It's common knowledge."

"Unless you're Muggle born."

"Well, maybe not then, but he certainly was not Muggle born," the boy replied, " I take it you're not Muggle born."

"No, although my mother is. I'm Terry Boot," Terry held out his hand.

"Michael Corner," the boy shook his hand and turned away as Mr Olivander returned from the depth of the shop, clutching several long, thin, small boxes. Terry moved out of the way as Michael tried out his wands, ending up with pine wand with unicorn hair.

"Bye," he said, after he had paid and was leaving the shop," see you at Hogwarts, I suppose."

Terry moved forward and, like Michael, was measured while Mr Olivander went and searched for some boxes.

"I think, let's start you off with Willow and Unicorn hair," Mr Olivander said.

Terry took the wand, waved it and nothing happened.

"Beech and dragon heartstring."

Terry tried it. Nothing.

"Hazel and unicorn hair."

Still nothing.

" Pear and Phoenix feather," Mr Olivander handed him another wand. Nothing.

This went on and Terry's nerves mounted as he became more and more convinced that no wand would match him. Mr Olivander did not seem concerned and said, quite cheerfully," Larch and dragon heartstring."

Nothing.

"Well, we'd better look further afield," Mr Olivander looked more closely at Terry," yes, it's worth a shot." He disappeared again, leaving Terry sweating slightly, thinking please let this be the one, let this be the one.

" Alder with unicorn hair, eleven inches, quite bendy," Mr Olivander said and Terry took the wand, trying not to let the desperation show in his face. He waved the wand and a shower of gold sparks shot out of it.

"Excellent!" Mr Olivander seemed pleased," I must say, that was not a match I expected."

Terry wondered what sort of wand Mr Olivander had personally marked for him, but there was something in Mr Olivander's voice that did not invite casual discussion and Terry left to get his books, robes and all the other things he needed.

"Your bag looks extremely heavy," Terry's mother commented as Terry entered the house.

"I got some extra books," Terry replied.

"Let's see that!" Brandon grabbed Terry's bag and began pulling out the books," Ooh, a supplementary guide to potions," he read aloud," a complete guide to Magical Plants and their uses. Transfiguration Made easy and that's in addition to your text books," he grinned," well, isn't someone quite the little reader."

"Shut up," Terry snapped.

"Intend to beat me in class, do you?" There was something threatening about his grin as he blocked Terry's path out of the kitchen," Are you perhaps thinking, well, his marks only average Acceptable so I'll just try beat him?"

"Yeah," Terry felt suddenly reckless," feeling threatened?"

He knew it was a risk and was not surprised when Brandon grabbed him by the shirt and pinned him against the wall.

"You'll never threaten me in anything," he hissed," never!"

"Don't provoke your brother, Terry," Terry's mother did not even look at the boys.

Brandon shoved Terry hard against the wall again and left, an angry look on his face, but Terry felt suddenly triumphant as he realised that Brandon was threatened by him. He was cleverer than Brandon, or could be if he tried.

Terry settled on his bed and began reading through his text books. Some subjects, especially the Transfiguration books, looked ridiculously complicated and Terry only hoped they were not a foreshadowing of lessons to come, while others did not seem so bad.

Terry was to regret his moment of provoking Brandon, however. He had underestimated Brandon's determination to remain in the spotlight and Terry spent the next few days locked in his room, trying to avoid Brandon's constant attempts to "accidently" push him down the stairs or trip him up in the hall way. Terry had challenged the King of the household and Brandon was ensuring that he would be severely punished.

To make matters worse, Brandon was angry at his parents' disappointment that he had not been made a Prefect. The more they insisted that they still loved him, the angrier he became.

"I never wanted to be a Prefect!" He shouted the day before term was due to start," Prefects are stupid, ok!"

"We understand," his mother said in an annoyingly patient voice," we understand you're disappointed, but it'll be alright. We still support you."

However, Terry did not miss the look his mother gave his father. Terry knew what his parents were thinking. Their favourite son might be extremely good looking and popular, but he had nothing to show for it. He was not a Prefect, not top of the class and not even on the Quidditch Team. His biggest achievement was to become Champion of the Duelling Club, which was not bad, but his parents had been hoping for so much more.

Terry turned away as his mother looked over at him. He sincerely hoped that his parents would not start pinning all their hopes and dreams on him. He doubted that he would stand the strain.

However, as his parents fussed over Brandon, leaving Terry to make his own way onto the Hogwarts Express.

Once Terry had managed to haul his trunk onto the train, he paused, feeling rather lost. As he made his way down the corridor, all the compartments were full until he came to one where three older boys who told him to "get out" before he could even open his mouth to ask if he could sit there.

Terry's arms were starting to get tired as he reached the back of the train until he spotted Michael Corner sitting in a corner, reading a book, which looked like a murder mystery novel, judging from the cover. There were two other boys and two girls in the compartment, but no one seemed to be "with" anyone and Terry decided that it was safe to squeeze into the compartment.

Michael briefly looked up and said "Hi," as Terry sat down, before turning back to his book. Terry took out one of the extra books he had bought at Flourish and Blotts and began to read, until one of the other boys saw the cover of his book.

"Ooooh, potions," the boy sneered, sounding very much like Brandon," fancy yourself a Potion- maker, do you?"

"I dunno, maybe," Terry shrugged.

"Going to poison us all, are you?"

"I dunno, maybe," Terry replied in the same unconcerned tone of voice. Out of the corner of his eye, he spotted Michael grin, although Michael's eyes never left the pages of the book.

"I suppose we have a Slytherin on the make," the first boy sneered," going to hang around in dungeons and be evil are you?"

"I dunno, maybe," Terry shrugged.

"No, I'm wrong," the boy sighed," you're just a retard."

" I dunno, maybe."

" Perhaps I ought to teach you a few more words, dummy!" the boy snapped," Like "please stop, that hurts."" He had pulled out his wand and was pointing it at Terry. The girls were watching, wide eyed. Michael was concentrating on his book, but Terry could tell that he was listening.

" I already know those words," Terry replied, thinking to play for time.

" Well, maybe I'd better emphasise the point," the boy grinned and cast a small jet of light at Terry, who immediately felt tiny needles grow all over his mouth and lips, forcing him to open his mouth as wide as it could go. There were needles at the roof of his mouth, needles under his tongue, needles in his cheeks. He could feel blood running down the corner of his mouth and trickling down his throat.

One of the girls, a hard faced girl with a rather flat face, giggled at this. Terry could hardly breathe. Michael had looked up from his book, now, but seemed unsure what to do. He was not laughing, however. The other girl simply looked horrified.

"Try talking now," the boy laughed and Terry stumbled out of the corridor and the scared- looking girl followed him, as did Michael Corner.

"I think I saw a Prefect down this way," he said, leading Terry, whose bottom face was now covered in blood, to an appointment, where they came upon a a red haired Prefect wearing a red and gold Prefect badge.

"What happened?" The Prefect asked, rather pointlessly talking to Terry, who was not able to utter even one intelligible syllable.

" One of the boys in the compartment we were in cursed him," Michael said, looking slightly doubtfully at the Prefect.

"Really, why?" The Prefect replied. Michael looked at him rather scornfully, as if to say,' Does it matter?'.

The girl spoke," He was bullying him."

"Right, I'll sort this out," the Prefect said," what compartment was it?"

"The third one down from here on the left," the girl replied," there was two other boys and another girl-"

"I'll handle it," the Prefect strode away, leaving Terry with a mouthful of needles.

In the end, they found a Hufflepuff Prefect, who actually fixed Terry's mouth, healing it completely and Terry began to wonder if the whole "Hufflepuffs were stupid" idea was not just Brandon talking, after all, as that girl had not come across as stupid at all.

"What did they look like, could you tell what year they were in?" She asked, actually taking notes.

"Well, obviously they were not first year," Michael rolled his eyes.

"Obviously," the girl noticed Michael's impatient tone, but did not react much. "Well," she said, when she had finished taking notes," I think I know who that boy was. He's a Slytherin third year and he's a known bully. I'd keep out of his way, if I were you."

"We'll bear that in mind," Michael's voice was full of sarcasm. The Prefect frowned at him.

"What he means is, thanks for the advice," the girl who had accompanied Terry and Michael said hastily.

The Prefect smiled, evidently appreciating the attempt at politeness.

"Thanks," Terry muttered, awkwardly, running his hand over his mouth," what was that curse?"

" The Needle Mouth Curse," the Prefect replied.

" Wow, what an imaginative name," Michael remarked.

"I didn't name it, " the Prefect replied coldly," anyway, I have to go now. You're welcome to stay here, if you like."

Michael settled down, taking out his book. Terry introduced himself to the girl. "I'm Terry Boot. Thanks for helping, by the way."

"Susan Bones," the girl replied," and it was no problem. I sure hope there aren't too many people like that at Hogwarts."

"Well, I suppose there are always bullies," Terry replied, thinking of his brother," but your name sounds familiar. Bones. Are you related to anyone well known?"

"Well, my aunts Madame Bones from the Department of Magical Law Enforcement," Susan replied," so I suppose you could say she was well known."

"Oh, yeah. I think my brother was up in front of her once. One of his friends gave a Muggle boy a nose biting tea cup as a joke and he had to stand in as a witness to his friend's defence."

"My aunt hates people who play practical jokes on Muggles. She says it's just nasty. Did your brother's friend get off?"

"No, he had to pay a fine and got a lifelong ban on Zonkos products, but my brother just buys stuff for him," Terry replied.

"Is your brother going to Hogwarts?" Susan asked.

"Yeah, he's starting his fifth year," Terry said," he's in Gryffindor."

"Oh, so you'll probably be in Gryffindor, too, then?" Susan asked.

Terry shrugged," Maybe," he said unenthusiastically," what about you?"

"Well, a lot of my family have been in Hufflepuff," Susan said casually," so I'll be fine if I get in there."

"Really?" Terry thought about his own family's attitude to that House," You wouldn't...mind?"

"No, why should I?" Susan asked.

Terry shrugged, but Michael spoke up. " Some people have higher expectations."

"Meaning Hufflepuffs second- best?" Susan sounded angry for the first time.

"Some people think so," Michael's eyes never left the book.

"Well, it isn't," Susan snapped," being clever or brave doesn't mean a thing if you're not hard working,"

"That's true," Terry agreed, " I have a cousin who was a genius and was wanted to be Deputy to the Minister of Magic herself- Millicent Bagnold was in charge then, but did not bother to turn up for the interview and ended up in the Department for Care of Magical Creatures and then, after not bothering to deal with a rampaging dragon quickly enough, was sacked and is still unemployed because he won't bother to look for a job."

" I'm not saying Hufflepuff's a bad house or anything," Michael said," it's just that it there isn't a particularly high standard to get in, is there?"

"True, it's not as elitist as the other Houses," Susan argued," but-"

"Excuse me," a blonde girl with pigtails appeared at the door, looking scared," can I sit here?"

"Sure," Susan smiled," what happened? Why did you move?" The train had been moving for some hours.

" Three really nasty boys saw me buying sweets on the lunch trolley," the girl looked very shaken," two of them were huge. They took all my sweets and they were very rough," she was shaking. Terry saw bruises on her wrist where it looked like a giant hand had gripped her.

"What did they look like?" He asked," Aside from huge?"

"Well, two had dark, short hair. They were the big ones. The third was blonde, almost white- haired, and very thin and he had this weird, slow voice, almost like a drawl. He seemed to be in charge."

Terry and Michael were looking at each other.

"Did he have a rather thin, pointed face?" Terry asked," and seem to be about our age?"

"Why, yes he did," the girl said," do you know him?"

" Not really, but we've seen him before," Terry said and he told the girl, whose name turned out to be Hannah Abbot, about the boy.

"He's not the only bully we've encountered," Susan said and she told Hannah about the boy who had attacked Terry.

"Perhaps we should call this apartment the shelter," Michael remarked," since we all seemed to be running away from something."

"What's that you're reading?" Susan asked Michael as Michael returned to his book.

"Oh, it's a detective novel," Michael said briefly," it's a Muggle book, but it's quite clever. There's a lot of twists- and a lot of murders, too," he disappeared into the book again.

"Murders," Susan shuddered," how anybody can read about them for entertainment, I'll never know."

"Anybody who ever reads the newspaper reads about them for entertainment," Michael did not look up.

"That's not true, some people just want to be informed," Susan argued.

"If they say that, they're lying," Michael's tone of voice suggested that he wanted to be left alone.

Susan rolled her eyes. "What kind of books do you like reading?" She asked Terry.

"Oh, all kinds, but mostly non- fiction," Terry said.

The lunch trolley that Hannah had mentioned arrived and Terry and Susan bought several sweets, both looking up and down the corridors to check that no one was watching them.

" I can't believe that boy, Draco and his friends, bullying other students during his first years," Terry commented as they unwrapped chocolate frogs," they've got some nerve."

"And muscle," Michael said, still not looking up from his book.

Several hours later, during which Michael finished his book and Hannah fell asleep, slumped in the corner of the compartment, Terry realised that they must be nearly at Hogwarts.

"Well," Michael said, after Terry pointed this out," we'd better leave and let the girls change."

Terry and Michael waited in the thankfully empty corridor until Susan and Hannah appeared, dressed in their Hogwarts robes and Terry and Michael changed.

It was not long before the train slowed down and came to a halt and the students crowded onto the platform.

Most of the students went off to where Terry saw the outline of what looked like horse- less carriages and Terry was considering following them until he heard a loud voice," FIRST YEARS THIS WAY!"

Terry and Michael got separated from Susan and Hannah as they made their way toward the voice and Terry could not surpress a gasp as he saw a wild- looking, gigantic man towering over the first years.

"He must be a half giant," he whispered to Michael," it's not common, but it does happen, giants or giantesses... marrying humans. I've read about it."

"Really, how does it work?" Michael asked," you know, if a human has to give birth to a giant's baby?" They both kept their voices to whispers.

"I think there's some spells that can help, but the book doesn't go into details," Terry replied.

"What book was it?" Michael asked.

" A book on giants, obviously."

"Why were you reading a book on giants?"

"Why not?"

The first years followed the huge man to the edge of the lake where there stood a small fleet of boats.

"No more than four to a boat!" The wild man called and Terry and Michael got into a boat, followed by a tall, serious looking but handsome boy with neat, dark brown hair, a hooked nose, high cheek bones , dark eyes and a long, pale face and a red haired girl with pale blue eyes and light freckles.

Nobody spoke as the boats glided over the lake until they caught a glimpse of a huge castle perched on a high cliff, its light reflected in the lake.

"Ooooh," came the gasp from the boats as first years caught their first sight of Hogwarts.

" Wow," Terry breathed," I when the castle was built."

"About 990 AD," the serious boy replied.

"Wow," Terry repeated.

The boats landed at a sort of underground harbour and they climbed up and along a path over a wide lawn, up to the tall front doors. The huge man knocked three times on the castle doors and Terry felt a thrill of excitement as the doors opened. He was about to enter Hogwarts for the first time.

The door opened and a stern looking woman stood there. Her hair was tied in a tight bun and there was something intimidating about her.

"Good evening, Professor McGonagall," the giant man said.

"Thank you, Hagrid, I will take them from here," the woman replied and she led the students across the enormous Entrance Hall, welcoming them to Hogwarts as she did so.

"The start of term banquet will take place shortly," she said, " but before you can take your seats in the Great Hall, you must be sorted into your Houses. The Sorting Ceremony is very important because, while you're here, your House will be something like your family within Hogwarts. You will have classes with the rest of your House, sleep in your House dormitory and spend free time in your House Common Room."

She went on to explain briefly about the Houses and the House Cup, before leaving the student in a room off to the side of the Hall, where they waited nervously for several minutes until someone screamed.

Terry gasped and Michael flinched.

Several ghosts had glided through the wall, talking amongst themselves.

It took several minutes for Terry's heart beat to return to normal as the ghosts disappeared, while Professor McGonagall returned and led the students into the Entrance Hall.

Terry had heard about how the ceiling of the Great Hall was enchanted to look like the sky outside, but it was still impressive as he glanced upwards and, for an instant, thought that there was no ceiling there at all and that the ceiling opened onto the night sky above them.

The first years filled through the hall in single file and came to a halt, facing the rest of the school, where Terry found himself facing a hat that Professor McGonagall had placed on a stool in front of all the students. The hat was patched and dirty and frayed in several places. A rip near the brim of the hat opened and the hat began to sing, describing the Four Houses and how it would sort them into Houses by looking into their minds.

"Or yet in wise old Ravenclaw, where if you've a ready mind, where those of wit and learning will always find their kind," these words echoed in Terry's head as the hat finished its song. As much as he had wanted to be in Ravenclaw, he thought it quite scary now. He wondered what happened if one was put in Ravenclaw and turned out to be bottom of the class. Someone always had to be bottom of the class, didn't they? What if it was him?

Perhaps I would be better off in Hufflepuff, he thought feverishly as Professor McGonagall stepped forward and unrolled as a scroll of parchment, I know I can work hard, but I don't know if I'm clever and what if the hat makes a mistake and thinks I'm clever and I'm not and then I'd be useless... his thought ran into each other and he did not even realise how white his face had gone or that he was trembling slightly.

"Abbot, Hannah!" Professor McGonagall called and Hannah came forward.

"HUFFLEPUFF!"

One down, Terry thought, watching Hannah.

"Bones, Susan!"

"HUFFLEPUFF!"

Well, at least she got into the House she wanted to be in, Terry thought. Lucky her.

"Boot, Terry!"

'Don't trip, don't trip,' Terry thought as he made his way forward, feeling slightly sick with fear.

The hat covered his eyes as he sat and he got a fright at the sudden darkness and then at the small voice in his head that could only be coming from the hat.

"Well, there's no room for doubt, better be RAVENCLAW!"

These last few words meant a great deal to Terry as he made his way to the Ravenclaw table. There's no room for doubt, he thought, slightly shakily even n his own mind, there's no room for doubt. This is my House.

Several Ravenclaws stood up to shake hands with him and, as Terry glanced over at the Gryffindor table, he caught sight of Brandon, who pulled a face at him, but Terry found that he did not care.

"Brocklehurst, Mandy!"

Terry looked over at the Sorting Hat just in time to see the red haired girl who had joined him and Michael in the boat have her eyes covered by the Sorting Hat.

"RAVENCLAW!"

Terry clapped loudly as Mandy joined the Ravenclaw table.

Two more girls were sorted, Lavender Brown and Millicent Bulstrode, one of whom went to Gryffindor and the other who went to Slytherin and then came...

"Corner, Michael!"

"Please..." Terry thought.

"RAVENCLAW!"

Yes! Terry thought, grateful that he would have at least one friend in Ravenclaw. Michael looked very pleased, too as he sat next to Terry.

"The hat didn't take long to put me in here, did it?" He asked.

"No, about five seconds, I'd say," Terry replied.

"Justin Finch-Fletchley!"

"HUFFLEPUFF!"

"Goldstein, Anthony!"

"RAVENCLAW!"

Terry, Michael and Mandy, who had all sat next to each other, clapped hard as Anthony joined them.

"Perhaps we ought to paint that boat we got in blue and bronze," Michael joked," you know, the Ravenclaw boat."

Anthony grinned, his smile looking rather out of place on his naturally serious face." Yeah, although only for this year. Next year it'd probably be the Slytherin boat."

"Then we can burn it," Michael said," we'll burn it if it's any other House, cause we only need Ravenclaws, right?"

The three boys laughed, more out of their good spirits than anything else.

One by one, more students were sorted, including a pair of twin girls, one of whom came to Ravenclaw and the other to Gryffindor and then, Professor McGonagall called "Potter, Harry!"

Terry, Michael and Anthony ( along with most of the rest of the entire Hall) craned their necks to get a glimpse of the Boy Who Lived.

Terry thought that Harry looked as scared as the rest of the students as he sat and the hat covered his eyes. There was utter silence for a few long moments and then the Hat called, "GRYFFINDOR!"

The Gryffindor table burst into cheers far louder than they'd given anyone else and Anthony, Terry and Michael turned away, rapidly losing interest even as the Gryffindors' celebrations continued for some moments.

"Well, I guess he's not that clever then," Michael commented," Gryffindors aren't known for their brains."

"Excuse me," the twin girl who had been sorted into Ravenclaw, Padme Patil turned to him," my sister's in Gryffindor!"

"Is she clever?" Michael asked, unabashed.

"Well..." the girl hesitated.

"I rest my case," Michael turned away.

"You shouldn't be so rude," Anthony said," I'm sure Gryffindors can be clever just as Ravenclaws can be stupid. No one has only one quality in them, you know."

Terry kept quiet. He had a feeling that Michael was not being entirely serious and so should not be taken as such.

" These potatoes are good," he commented, piling roast potatoes on his plate," I wonder where the kitchens are?"

" Yeah," Anthony looked round, going along with the change of subject," I wonder." He looked around the Hall, but there was no sign of servants or stoves or anything that suggested kitchens.

"They're probably on the other side of the castle," Michael helped himself to meat.

"Or just below us," Anthony had mostly taken vegetables. Terry raised his eyebrow as he looked at the vegetables on Anthony's plate.

"What?" Anthony asked, slightly defensively," Vegetables are good for you!"

" So people say," Terry shrugged," but I personally think it's a conspiracy by the vegetable companies, saying that."

Anthony snorted with laughter," The vegetable companies? You mean the farmers?"

" Well, them or the shops," Terry shrugged," I mean, how do we know they're healthy? Where's the proof?"

"I have an idea," Michael spoke up," Anthony can eat only vegetables and you can only ear meat and starch and we'll see who lives the longest."

"What if one of us gets hit by a bus?"

" Then we'll find someone else to take their place."

They continued this light- hearted discussion until Michael remarked," Look at that guy with the turban? What subject do you think he teaches?" The subject instantly turned back to Hogwarts, a subject which was, to the boys, far more serious.

"He looks very nervous, doesn't he?" Terry said," I would imagine he would teach something safe, like Astronomy. That woman," he pointed to a short, round woman with fly- away hair and a kindly expression," has to teach Herbology. Look at her fingernails. That man," he indicated a man with several missing limbs," would have to be Care of Magical Creatures, which we won't do till about third year, I think, according to my brother."

"Why Care of Magical Creatures?" Michael asked," His limbs could have been cursed off. He could be teaching Defence Against the Dark Arts."

"No, if you look carefully, you can see his limbs have been ripped off," Terry replied, " those are teeth marks."

"Oh, yeah," Michael said looking carefully at the teacher and then looking away quickly as the teacher looked up and saw him.

"Playing a game of guess the teacher, are you?" A blonde boy with a Prefects Badge shining on his chest overheard them," How are you doing so far?" He did not seem particularly concerned that the "game" could be considered rude.

"Well, I think that man," Terry pointed to the man with the turban," teaches Astronomy and that woman he pointed to the short, untidy woman," teaches Herbology and that man teaches potions," he pointed to a hook nosed man with greasy hair," Terry thought this because, watching the man eat, he had noticed how exact the man seemed to be in all his ways and movements and knew this to be an essential qualities in Potion makers," and that man teaches Care of Magical Creatures and that man teaches Charms," he pointed to a tiny wizard who seemed to be sitting on a pile of cushions," because he has a Charms pamphlet in his pocket and I'd say he's talking to the..." Terry hesitated, looking at the Witch who had let them in the castle," I'm not sure about her. I'd say she teaches something difficult, Transfiguration, I'd say," Terry had been torn between Transfiguration and Arithmancy, but figured that an Arithmancy teacher was not likely to be in such an important position," how am I doing so far?"

"Very well, except he," the boy pointed to the man in the Turban," is teaching Defence Against the Arts." The Prefect then turned back to his friend and Michael turned to Terry.

"Very observant of you, Sherlock," he commented.

"Sherlock?" Anthony frowned," Oh, yeah, Holmes."

"Michael likes detective stories," Terry explained," wizard or Muggle."

"What do you mean, wizard or Muggle?" Michael frowned," there just aren't any wizarding detective novels around. Well, non worth reading, anyway."

After the puddings had been eaten, Professor Dumbledore got to his feet." Just a few more words that we are all fed and watered..."

The "few more words" turned out to be quite a long list of announcements, including informing them that the forest in the grounds was out of bounds to all students , that Quidditch try outs would be held in the second week of term, that no magic was to be used in between classes in the corridors and that the corridor on the third floor, on the right hand side was out of bounds to "everyone who did not wish to die a very painful death."

There was an outbreak of muttering at this and Terry, Michael and Anthony looked at each other, their eyebrows raised.

However, Terry quickly forgot about the mysterious corridor when Professor Dumbledore got the student to their feet and told them to sing the school song.

Michael and Anthony looked rather disturbed, too as the song began, with everyone making up their own tunes.

These lyrics are terrible, Terry thought, eventually shutting his mouth altogether, I mean, Hoggy, Warty, Hogwarts? He shuddered.

Next to him, Anthony was singing softly, but with a surprisingly good voice which would have been even better if he had not been trying not to be heard and Michael was miming the words- and looking as if he was making up a few lyrics of his own. Next to them, a third year boy who had introduced himself as Roger Davies, sang in a powerful voice, for which Terry was grateful as it masked his own.

" I could have written a better song than that," Terry heard one of the first year girls, Lisa Turpin, say to Padme Patil after the song had finished.

Meanwhile, the boy who had spoken to Terry earlier, began calling," First years this way!"

Over on the other side of the table, a girl with long, curly hair, began rounding up the students nearer her and Terry, Michael and Anthony joined the rest of the students and followed the Prefects along several corridors, where they passed portraits that moved and talked and went through several secret passage ways that included a door which looked like solid wall. Terry tried hard to remember the route as they walked, and, judging by Anthony's darting brown eyes, he, too was trying to mark the route, but soon Terry felt too tired to look where he was going and the corridors, portraits and carpets seemed to blur in his mind.

The group had come to a tightly spiralling staircase which led to a plain wooden door that slammed shut just as the Prefect, who had introduced himself as Robert Hilliard, called, "Wait- don't close it-"

The door closed. Robert muttered something under his breath, while the girl Prefect, who Robert had introduced as Penelope Clearwater, turned to the rest of the group.

"To enter the Ravenclaw Common Room, you have to answer a question to enter," she explained," just knock and the door will ask you a question. Unfortunately, if you can't answer, you'll have to wait for someone who can answer it before you can enter, so please be considerate of others and, if you open the door and see someone else coming, hold it open for them. It's only polite." Terry could tell she was annoyed with whoever had carelessly shut the door behind them.

"And it's a good idea to make sure you've got everything you need before you leave the Tower," Robert added," it can be a problem if you've got to get in a hurry."

" It can seem scary, having to answer questions," Penelope said," but you'll get used to it."

Terry was barely listening as his eyes were starting to close.

Robert seized the knocker and knocked and a woman's voice spoke.

" What is the substance that causes one to outwardly become another?" The voice asked.

"Polyjuice Potion," Robert replied without much of a pause and the door opened.

The first years entered a large, round room which had a carpet and ceiling of deep blue, several comfortable looking chairs, tables and several bookshelves along the walls. A statue of a woman stood near one of the doors. Terry supposed that the woman was Rowena Ravenclaw herself and, even through his exhaustion, he felt a keen sense of interest as he looked at the statue, at the image of the founder of the House.

The boys were directed to a one dormitory and the girls to another and Terry found dormitory with three comfortable looking, four poster beds which had blue, silk sheets.

The beds were so comfortable that it did not take any of the boys long to fall asleep.